


Keeping It Casual

by rant_girl



Category: CW Network RPF, Supernatural RPF
Genre: Banter, F/M, Friends With Benefits, M/M, Open Relationships, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-28 22:19:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17191346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rant_girl/pseuds/rant_girl
Summary: Jensen and Jared have a casual friends with benefits relationship, each meet Danneel in their own way and start dating her without any of them knowing, until she does...





	Keeping It Casual

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dugindeep (hotsauce)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hotsauce/gifts).



> Written for the very lovely and ultra awesome Dugindeep and her prompt for the SPN J2 Xmas Exchange Challenge. My sincerest apologies for not getting this out on time, and ach BB, I really do hope you like it. All my love! ♥♥♥♥
> 
> And thank you to the wonderful mods for being so understanding! ♥

Jensen tipped his head to the side on the pillow, watching as Jared re-dressed himself, unashamed under Jensen’s gaze. Jared had come over to _borrow a cup of sugar_. And Jensen was a _very_ good neighbour. 

Jared had moved into his building two years ago, right into the apartment just across the hall from Jensen’s. At first they had shared nothing more than elevator rides and _good morning_ ’s. Maybe a smile or two. A nod of acknowledgement. Sex came second. A month into Jared’s _residency_ Jensen had come home at the exact same moment as Jared’s _date_ had been leaving.

Things hadn’t gone as Jared had hoped for, but his meaning to devour was still there. Jensen saw that look in his eyes, the heat there so unlike anything Jensen had ever seen on the usually bubbly sunshiney face of the man. Jensen was happy to oblige. It had been a while since Jensen had last been with a man, and he’d never actually come across one strong enough to wall-slam him before. Jared didn’t disappoint and had been equally thrilled when he discovered Jensen was just as capable of returning the favour. They had sex somewhat semi-regularly after that.

Third came friendship. Jared was new in town and he didn’t have that many friends so Jensen had invited him out with some of his. They’d hit up a few ball games together, and sometimes they’d end up watching a game together at each other’s places. That happened less frequently. But enough that Jensen found himself stocking up on the kind of snacks that Jared liked to eat. Thankfully they had a lot of overlap, but when Jared was around they seemed to disappear by the shovelful. 

Jensen admired Jared’s very fine ass for a moment or two longer as Jared pulled his jeans up over it to hug it perfectly. Jensen bit his lip, sorely tempted to rip them back off, pound him all over again. But he shook his head and forced himself to sit up, they both had things to do. He dragged a hand down his face and then pushed it back through his hair, pulling on a fresh pair of underwear before following Jared through to his kitchen.

His eyebrow arching up in equal parts bewilderment and amusement as Jared raked through his cupboard, “What are you doing?”

“Looking for the sugar.”

Jensen snorted, “Seriously?”

“I came for the sugar. Stayed for the sex.”

“You _came_ for me.”

“That too.”

“What do you need the sugar for?”

“I’m baking. And going to the store for it wouldn’t have been nearly as–.”

“ _Satisfying_?”

“I was going to say _fun_ ,” and Jared laughed when Jensen lightly punched his arm.

“Sugar’s over here,” Jensen opened the correct cupboard, leaning back against the counter so that Jared had to lean into him to get the bag, Jared’s t-shirt soft against his chest.

“Thanks,” Jared smiled as he pulled back.

“No problem. You could stay for coffee if you want?” it was a casual offer, they were friends after all, neither of them had to leave immediately after they’d had sex. They had the first few times, but they had both come to the conclusion that it was ridiculous.

 _You know who slinks out? One night stands, adulterers and hookers_.

And they weren’t any of those things. Jensen wasn’t really sure what to call their relationship but he planned on maintaining it. 

Jared smiled as he genuinely considered it, but he shook his head, “I better get back to it. Didn’t you have a thing?”

“I did. I _do_. Next time?”

“For sure. Later, Ackles,” Jared gave him a salute as he turned towards the door.

“Later, Padalecki,” Jensen said more quietly as the door closed behind Jared. He shook his head, pushing his hand back and then dragging it forwards through his hair. 

He had a blind date to get to. Get it over with. It wasn’t something he’d ever normally agree to, but his mom just wouldn’t drop it about this _girl_. His mom was a matchmaker, so it was ‘quite literally’ her job to find him someone, _his someone_ , as she was always saying. But any date he had ever had at her arrangement had been absolutely disastrous. So he’d had to limit her into setting him up just once a year. 

This year’s _candidate_ was called Julie. The only information his mother would ever part with. Jensen swore that half of them were a result of them seeing his picture in his mom’s office and nothing to do with any kind of compatibility. But he went along with it anyway. He only had to go on one date. And then she’d leave him alone for another few months. 

Jensen liked to get there first. So he usually arrived a good half hour early and he’d get a drink at the bar, ask the hostess to let him know when his _date_ arrived. 

The bartender had just set his glass down when a hand slid across his shoulders, made him turn his head to find the owner of that hand, the most gorgeous woman Jensen had ever seen, “Is this seat taken?”

“Not at all–”

“Danneel.”

“ _Danneel_.” he repeated as she sat down. 

But before he could give her his name she said, “Mr. Grouchy Pants?”

Jensen cocked his brow at that, “Mr. _Grouchy Pants_?”

“You tell me. You’re the one sitting here, working the sexy scowl.”

“Sexy, huh?”

“Oh, definitely the sexiest.”

“Have you seen you?”

“I knew I liked you–”

“Jensen.”

“ _Jensen_ ,” she gave him a wicked little smile as she placed her hand in his and he gave it a squeeze.

“Can I buy you a drink?”

“French Martini.”

“Can I get a French Martini for the lady?”

“Coming right up, Sir.”

“Thanks,” Jensen and Danneel said at the same time. 

“So, what brings you here?”

“Blind date. My mom set me up.”

“Ooh, me too. Sorta. Dating app.”

“Not here yet?”

“Oh, no, he’s here. Or he _was_ here. But it was a bust. Was about to skedaddle when I saw your brooding shoulders.

“Brooding? Who do you think I am? _Angel_?”

“I mean you could totally rock the tortured soul vibe.”

“Right, all I need’s a dark overcoat.” 

“It pulls the look together,” they shared a smirk, “So, yours isn’t here yet?”

“Nope. But something tells me that’s not gonna work out either.”

“Hence the grouch?” Danneel touched her fingers to the base of her glass as it was set before her, and she gave the bartender a quick thanks.

Jensen nodded, licking his lip, and then worrying it with his teeth a little as Danneel took a sip of her drink, “But I also just met this smoking hot redhead, think there might be something there.”

“Maybe you should ask her out.”

“You think she’d be interested?”

Danneel took a pen and piece of card from her purse, writing out her number, and then slid the card across the bar, “Why don’t you call her later and find out?”

“Count on it.”

“Well,” she slipped back down onto her feet, taking her glass, “I guess I better leave you to your _not-a-date_. Let her down easy?”

“I will.”

“Thanks for the drink.”

–

Under normal circumstances Jared wouldn’t have turned down an excuse to prolong his time with Jensen. Jared loved spending time with Jensen. Whether he was under him, on top of him, when they were smooshed together front to front or front to back, naked or clothed, or pressed up against each other’s sides. Whenever they were together, no matter what they were doing, or if they had other people in their company, the space between them always managed to disappear. 

Jared had been accused of being too touchy feely practically his whole life, but with Jensen he just really couldn’t help it. He _needed_ to be touching him. Since they’d started…whatever it was that they had between them, no one else had really piqued his interest. But they’d already fitted the relationship into the casual box, and Jared was never quite sure if Jensen ever thought about changing their box. Sometimes? Maybe. 

It had been Jared’s dumb idea not to attach any strings.

But Jared really did have to get back to his baking. He had a little boy’s birthday to save. It was his best friend’s son’s birthday party the next day, and the bakery Genevieve had ordered his cake from had had a fire and Tyler’s cake was among the casualties. Thankfully there were no human ones. But that didn’t exactly assuage Genevieve’s stress levels. 

So, baking. Jared had a knack for it and the kid deserved something special. And Jared was his god-father after all. Genevieve had promised Tyler a pirate cake. A promise Jared had let her keep. The second he placed it down securely on her kitchen counter she threw her arms around him, “You are _such_ a life saver. What would I do without you?”

“Get a generic store bought cake?”

“Jare, do not even joke about that.”

The other kids’ moms were all a bunch of Martha Stewart wannabes and normally Genevieve wouldn’t give a fuck but when they gave her _that look_ it made her feel violent. And she didn’t want to feel violent on her son’s 5th birthday as she had told Jared on the phone that morning.

“Seriously,” she said, finally pulling back, “thank you, don’t know how you pulled this off.”

“Almost didn’t. Ran out of sugar.”

“You had to go to the store?”

“Nope. I got _lucky_.”

Genevieve rolled her eyes at him, “How many times do you guys have to fuck before you admit you’re in a real relationship?”

“It is real. It’s just also casual.”

“Casual my ass. And wait. Eww. You had sex in the middle of making a cake for my baby?”

“I washed my hands, and anyway Jensen’s fingers were the ones doing the _dirty_ work this time.”

Genevieve’s nose scrunched, “Dude. Spare me the details. I don’t want to think about some guy’s fingers in your ass.” 

“Some guy?”

“You’d think that someone in a _casual_ relationship wouldn’t get hung up over a name.”

“But he’s–. _Jensen_.”

“Whose argument are you trying to make here?”

“Gen–”

“Yeah, yeah. You mind staying to help?”

“Anything for my favourite nephew.”

“He’s your only nephew.”

“Where do you need me?”

Between the two of them –and eventually Chad; Tyler’s father, and not Genevieve’s ex, they never had a relationship, just a one night stand– they managed to get everything set up and keep the little boy entertained while they did. The party went off without a hitch or ruffled feather and Jared made sure that Chad didn’t do anything too _Chad_ in relation to the mothers who chose to stay, not that any of them were single.

Made him glad that Chad was too busy being a dad when the most beautiful woman Jared had ever laid his eyes on walked up the front path to Genevieve’s door. Jared had it open before she even reached the step. “You here to pick up your kid?” the majority of the kids had already gone. 

“Christ no,” she said probably too quickly, reflexively, “Sorry. That came out wrong. I mean, it’s not that I don’t like kids, I just–”

“Prefer when they’re not yours?” Jared offered.

“Exactly. I’m doing a favour for my brother. Picking up my niece, who I’m very fond of, by the way. I feel like I should show you pictures.”

“I believe you.”

“See, now I just think you’re placating me. Holding off and keeping me occupied until you can call the authorities on the crazy childless lady.”

“That’s the plan.”

“Aunt Danni!” a little girl bounding towards them and wrapping herself around, _Danni_ ’s legs. 

“Hey, Pumpkin, are you ready to go?”

The little girl shook her head.

“No?” Danni huffed a laugh, “Your mommy and daddy are expecting me to bring you home.” 

“Can’t we play just five more minutes?”

“Well if it’s okay with Tyler’s mommy and daddy,” Danneel giving Jared a look.

He held up his hands, “Hey, I’m just an uncle here. But I’m sure Gen wouldn’t mind.”

“But just five,” Danneel shook her head as the little girl squealed in delight and ran off with Tyler, “You think they have any concept of how little time five minutes is?”

“None whatsoever, but I think they know we’ll say yes to it.”

“So are you Gen’s brother?”

“No. Though it feels like I am. We’re just best friends.”

“So you’re not dating?”

“Absolutely not. I’m single.”

“ _Ready to mingle_?” she said with a shimmy of her shoulders.

“You want to mingle?”

“I could be persuaded to grab some coffee with a ridiculously tall stranger.”

“Ridiculously?”

“Above average. But I’d much rather call you by your name.”

“It’s Jared.”

“I’m Danni, but you might have already sussed that out.”

“Might have.”

“Well, Jared, why don’t you give me your number and then maybe you can help me locate Bethany’s shoes?”

“I can do that.”

–

Danneel hated going to work parties. Correction, Danneel hated going _alone_ to work parties. Everyone else always brought their partners, and the conversation would inevitably make a turn to her lack-there-of. So when Tim’s notification had popped up on her phone the day before, she figured she could give him a dry run, see if he was someone she could plausibly say she was dating. That had been a mistake. But meeting Jensen sure as hell wasn’t. He was insanely good looking, and charming and funny and smooth. He made her feel like she could say or do anything. 

And fuck if he didn’t put that theory to the test. Within an hour of her leaving him, he had called her. Within a further twenty minutes he’d met up with her and she gave him the 411. Jensen played the part perfectly. The only thing her co-workers couldn’t believe was that she kept him a secret for so long. 

“Can you blame me for wanting to keep him to myself?” was her response, and there was a part of her that wanted to keep him all to herself, eyes locked on his as she caressed his stubbled cheek with the backs of her fingers.

He’d closed his eyes as he took her hand, keeping it there, his eyes darker somehow, lust-blown, when he opened them back up to hers, “I feel the exact same about you.”

Their chemistry was pure and raw and undeniable. 

He’d fucked her in the bathroom between the first and second courses. It was hard and fast and fuck it made her feel dirty in the best possible way. She’d had to bite his hand to stop herself from screaming. She’d never come so hard. Jensen had pocketed her panties. Left her bare and wet and exposed beneath her dress for the rest of the evening. And she’d never been so turned on. It was all she could do to not moan and stay focused on her dessert when his fingers wandered between her thighs. Teasing her mercilessly. He'd push her right to the brink and then would ease off, keep her from tumbling over. 

You can bet your ass she took him home when the dinner was over. She needed to tumble. Needed his cock to stuff her, fuck he was huge. He was unreal. More perfect than her most perfect fantasy. And his hands, god, his hands. She needed them on her, holding, squeezing, rubbing, caressing. Hell she’d never even jumped on the bdsm, D/s bandwagon, but having him spank her a couple of times really got her juices flowing. Having to coax him into it; beg, just made it hotter.

Fuck. One night and she was already considering exclusivity. That was until she met Jared the following day. And she remembered why she could never make a long term monogamous relationship last. One man was never enough. And when you asked a straight man if he would be open to a polyamorous relationship, he usually assumed that meant inviting a second chick into bed. Danneel wasn’t into that at all. 

Having an open relationship was the only other alternative, and she’d been down that route and it always ended with her being asked to choose. Who did she want to be with _for real_. Apparently _both_ wasn’t a good enough answer. 

Well even if she didn’t get to keep them forever, that didn’t mean she couldn’t have a little fun with each of them in the present. 

Jared was sweet and great with kids, and really incredibly tall and equally hot and she wanted to get to know him better. So she called Jared for coffee. She already had a first official date set up with Jensen. Got her excited just thinking about it. 

The plan had been to slow things down, take her time with both men. But whenever she got near them, sparks flew, and Jared might have started at a different pace but it didn’t take long for him to _catch up_. And fuck that first night she’d had sex with Jared, she’d never wanted to stop sitting on his face, he ate her out like it was his primary function. She seriously considered tying him to her bed. But she had plans with Jensen.

She’d been dating them for nearly a month before she discovered just how small their little bubble world was. In the time she had been with them, she’d mostly had them at her place, and on the odd occasion she’d had sex with Jensen in public, even once in a hotel room, and she'd been to his place a couple of times. 

She’d never been to Jared’s before. And she’d gotten a sort of sinking feeling in her gut when they’d entered the apartment building, which seemed not too dissimilar to Jensen’s apartment building. She tried to shake it off. And it wasn’t too outlandish that they would live on the same level in _separate_ buildings. That was just a coincidence. But when they got out of the elevator and started heading towards Jensen’s apartment her heart started to thunder in her chest. Then Jared turned left, instead of right. JARED LIVED RIGHT ACROSS THE HALL FROM JENSEN!

Danneel couldn’t take her eyes off what was unmistakeably Jensen’s door, until Jared said something.

“Danni? Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah. I’m fine. Sorry. Just some sort of déjà vu.”

“Been here before?” Jared joked, and Danneel laughed if somewhat nervously, but Jared didn’t seem to notice, or at least he didn’t let on. 

_Shit_.

A sputter of a laugh bursting from her lips as she entered his living room, her eyes landing on a picture of Jared and Jensen together, arms over each other’s shoulders. 

“What is it?”

“I, uh, it’s nothing, just, that painting, I swear my brother had the exact same one.”

“Small world.”

She smiled, having to turn from him to stop herself from saying, _You really don’t have to tell me_. 

Jared and Jensen were friends. Close friends by the looks of things. 

But they hadn’t told each other who they were dating? Casually sure, but still. She’d had the talk with them, they each knew that she was dating someone else.

“Do you want something to drink?”

“What? Sorry. Yes. Please. Thank you, Jay.” 

They’d both been cool with it. 

“Preference?”

“You know what I like.”

She was pretty sure that wouldn’t be the case anymore if they found out who the someone else was. 

“I have gin.”

“Perfect.”

She was so screwed. 

She didn’t know how she managed to get herself back under control, enough that Jared stopped asking her if she was okay anyway. The drink helped a little, but she couldn’t help but have an internal freakout about the fact that Jensen could just come to the door at any second. Thankfully he didn’t. But it was too close for comfort, the second her alarm went off in the morning she was out of there. 

Of course, Jensen would just so happen to be leaving his apartment mere seconds after she’d closed Jared’s door.

 _Fuck_.

“Danneel. What are you doing here?” 

She gave him her best smile and inhaled deep when he pulled her into an embrace, the smell of his cologne; oud wood and vanilla, calming her, “Surprise,” she shrugged a little as they pulled back, “I just thought I’d come over and maybe we could go get breakfast together. You in?”

“I’d love to,” his kiss soft and warm as he pressed his lips to hers, their fingers interlocking as he took her hand. 

Danneel thanked whatever higher being was out there that Jared stayed in his apartment. 

“You have some place in mind?”

“As long as they have waffles, I’m good.”

“I know a place. Best waffles in Texas.”

“Bet you say that to all the waffles.”

“I would never,” Jensen said, mock-aghast, one hand over his heart, “I’m a one waffle kind of guy.”

Danneel laughed, shaking her head, and she gave a faint jab to his arm. That was the problem.

–

Jensen snuggled into Jared’s side as he re-joined him on the couch, resting the popcorn bowl over their thighs. They were having a _Netflix_ day. Jensen had been spending so much time with Danneel he’d barely had time to spend with Jared. But Danneel had some big deadline coming up and she’d been having to help her brother out with her niece a lot more lately, so Jensen hadn’t seen her as much. Which meant more Jared time, which was always a good thing. He’d even found that he’d started to miss the giant goofball.

It felt good to have Jared’s arm wrapped around him again, “You think we could maybe make the popcorn last this time, you inhaled that last bowl in what, five minutes?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jared feigned innocence.

“Therein lies the problem.”

“You’re the problem.”

“I’m the problem?”

“You and your ridiculously small popcorn bowl.”

“You could fit a human head in there.”

“Okay, _Dexter_.”

“Fine. You could fit a whole watermelon in there.”

“Mhmm. I’ve got my eye on you, Ackles.”

“It’s gonna take a lot more than an eye.”

“Oh yeah?” Jared grinned, turning to more fully face Jensen.

“Yeah. You should really pin me down. You never know when I’m next gonna strike,” and he knocked the popcorn bowl up into the air, half the contents landing onto their laps and the couch, the rest scattering over the floor and coffee table. 

Both of them laughing as Jared did pin Jensen down on the couch, “I can’t believe you actually did that.”

“Maybe I’ll make you pick it up with your mouth.”

“You know, you keep it so clean in here that’s probably not even as gross as you think it is.”

Jensen’s nose crinkled up, “I am not letting you eat off the floor.”

“I think I’ve got a better way to _utilise_ my mouth.”

“Oh ye–?” Jared shutting Jensen up with a kiss and Jensen kissed back as he took hold of Jared’s shoulders, his hands naturally gravitating down, caressing Jared’s back until he got a hold of Jared’s ass.

Jared moaned into his mouth as Jensen squeezed, Jensen’s hips bucking up as Jared rolled his down. The weight of Jared’s dick in his sweatpants heavy against Jensen’s. Jensen gasped, eyes lidded as he opened them to Jared’s, he closed his legs around Jared’s thighs, pulling him closer, teeth tugging at Jared’s bottom lip until Jensen caught his breath. Their kissing all the more frantic as they rutted together.

So lost in each other that neither of them even heard the key in the door. The door opening and closing, or the sound of her shoes across the floor.

“Jensen are you he–…oh… _OH_.”

“Danni!” “Danneel!”

“I can explain,” he and Jared said in unison, their eyes snapping back to each other, and Jared finally pushed himself up and off of Jensen, Jensen sat up, pulling a cushion over his crotch, Jared seemingly forgetting the fact that he still had a raging boner, “How do you know Danni|Danneel?”

Their attention drawn back to the redhead, and the penny finally dropped, “Oh,” they said together.

Jared was the other dude Danneel had been seeing. 

_Huh_.

“Fuck, that was hot,” Danneel’s face scrunching up as she closed her eyes, and she smacked her forehead, “Sorry, I mean, well no, I actually do think that was hot, _super_ hot. But wait. Have you–. How long have you two been together?”

“It’s not like that,” Jensen said maybe just a tad more defensively than he should have, and he shot an apologetic look to Jared. Jared smiled with a nod.

“It’s _not_?” Danneel asked, her voice saturated with confusion. 

“I mean,” Jared shrugged, “we’re just casual too.”

“Friends with benefits,” Jensen added.

“Looks like more than that from where I’m standing,” she huffed a little, pushing a hand back through her hair, “You guys really aren’t mad?”

“About what?” they said at the same time.

Danneel gave them a look, waving her hands to encompass all the everything.

Jensen shook his head, “You were straight about what you wanted from the jump. But when did you figure out–”

“That you knew each other?” she wagged her finger between them

“Two weeks ago,” Jared answered for her, “When you stayed at my place.”

“Yeah. I maybe kinda freaked out. I thought if you found out–... I really _really_ like both you guys. More than like. The thought of losing both or either of you–.”

“You don’t have to.”

“What!?” and this time it was Danneel and Jared who spoke together.

“You, being with me. And being with Jared. I’m okay with that. More than.”

“Jared? Where do you stand on all this?”

“I’m with Jensen.”

“In more ways than one,” Danneel said with the hint of a smirk.

“Danneel!” they said.

“Guys. Come on.”

Jared ducked his head, scratching the back of his neck, six foot five of adorableness–. Maybe Danneel was right.

Jared cleared his throat, “I could be open to having more with Jensen. Always kind of have been.”

Made Jensen’s heart swell.

“Jensen?” Danneel prodded.

“Me too,” and Jensen swore he’d never seen Jared smile so big. He’s pretty sure his own face had never hurt so much from his own either. Danneel looked like she might explode from happy. And it was her who broke the silence. 

“And do we think that you two might be _open_ to finishing what you started with an audience?”

“ _Danni_.”

“I did mention the hotness, right?”

The End.


End file.
